


A Little Fall of Rain

by Druwho



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Cuddles, F/M, Faked Death, Gabriel redemption arc, Grief/Mourning, Gun Violence, Happy Ending, Homeless Marinette, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, Platonic Bedsharing, Temporary Character Death, temporary disability
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:33:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27307777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Druwho/pseuds/Druwho
Summary: In an attempted assassination, Marinette sacrifices her life to save Adrien. The Kwamis are able to revive her, but it comes at a price. One that Adrien alone must pay. Now, Adrien is forced to keep even more secrets. The fact that Marinette is alive and that she has been his Lady all long. More than ever, they must defeat Hawkmoth. Only then can Marinette return to her life.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 191
Kudos: 310
Collections: October 2020 - Dark





	1. An Assassin Targets Adrien

**Author's Note:**

> Rated Teen for blood, intense situations
> 
> Warning! Temporary Character Death
> 
> Shamelessly inspired by Les Misérables. Wherein Éponine is in a desperate, one-sided love with Marius and ultimately sacrifices herself to save his life. In the musical, ‘A Little Fall of Rain’ is the song she sings as she dies.

Marinette climbed up the base of a lamppost. With her phone in one hand, she scanned over the sea of people looking for Alya and Nino. Even with the added height, it still took a minute for her to see Alya waving.

“Okay, I see you guys now,” Marinette spoke into her phone. “I’ll be right there. Don’t move.” She jumped down from the lamppost and started weaving in and out of the crowd toward the direction of her friends. 

It was Heroes’ Day in Paris. But unlike previous years, the holiday was now a week-long celebration. Currently, the Trocadéro was in full festival mode. There were multiple stages for musical performances, dozens of street vendors, and food carts all over the place.

“Sometimes, I hate being short,” Marinette whined as she grabbed onto Alya’s arm. “I couldn’t see you guys at all. So, where are we going first?”

“We’re waiting for one more.” Alya winked.

“Oh! Who?”

“Adrien’s on his way.” Nino grinned.

“Really?” That surprised Marinette. Lately, Adrien’s father had been forbidding any activities outside school. And for once, he wasn’t just overprotective. The _Gabriel_ brand had recently closed its factories in South-East Asia. A surprise tour by Nathalie had revealed child labor violations, as well as wage thief from the supervisors. Gabriel had immediately dissolved their contract. The factory owner had retaliated with threats of violence toward anyone associated with Gabriel Agreste.

And so, poor Adrien was barely able to leave his house.

Marinette looked at the crowd in front of her. Many children chose to dress up for Heroes’ day. Tiny Ladybugs and Chat Noirs were running all over the place. To Marinette’s delight, there was even an occasional Carapace or Rena Rouge. Many of the children had also created their own hero costumes. Marinette loved seeing the creativity of a child’s imagination.

One child, however, made Marinette do a double-take. The little girl’s skin was blue, bluer than any bodypaint. Also, the little girl was floating instead of walking. Marinette frowned; she hated it when Hawkmoth Akumatized children.

“Sorry, Alya. I suddenly remembered something I needed to do.” Marinette glanced down at her nonexistent watch. “I’ll meet back with you later.”

“Seriously, girl?” Alya raised an eyebrow. “You’re not avoiding Adrien, are you?”

“It’s not that,” Marinette looked away, trying to see where the girl went. Crap, the girl disappeared. At least this Akuma wasn’t causing panic, but she was definitely up to something. “I really need to go; I’ll explain later.”

Marinette quickly headed in the direction of the Akumatized child. Hmm, finding a place to transform was going to be a problem. There were people everywhere. Marinette spotted a t-shirt vendor with an opaque tablecloth. She waited until no one was looking and ducked under the table.

A few seconds later, Ladybug emerged. Using her yo-yo, she launched herself to the top of a lamppost and looked down at the crowd. Within seconds, she spotted the floating, blue-skinned girl.

The child had a scowl on her face as she pointed to the adults all around her. Every time she pointed, the phones that were in the adult’s hand sparked and smoked. The little girl was destroying phones? Ladybug shrugged; seemed like an odd power. Perhaps she could destroy anything and, for some reason, was only using it on phones.

Though, as Ladybug scanned the crowd, she noticed quite a few parents staring at the tiny screens in their hands. Maybe this girl was frustrated at being ignored? Ladybug studied the girl further. Other than her clothes, she didn’t seem to have any objects on her. Perhaps the Akuma was in her headband?

Ladybug called for her Lucky Charm; a game of checkers fell into her hand. With a smile, she jumped down in front of the girl. The girl snarled when she saw Ladybug, but soon her expression turned curious as Ladybug held out the game.

“Do you want to play with me?” Ladybug sweetly asked.

The girl suddenly grabbed her temples, shaking her head back and forth. Ladybug knew Hawkmoth was trying to push his will on the little girl, but her desire to play was fighting it. It was all the opening Ladybug needed. She gently removed the girl’s headband and snapped it in half. A tiny black butterfly fluttered into the air.

Ladybug quickly removed her yo-yo, captured the Akuma, and released the tiny white butterfly. She looked down at the little girl holding the game of checkers to her chest. “Let’s go find your grown-ups.”

The girl looked at her with big, puppy dog eyes. “Can’t we play a game?”

Ladybug knelt beside the girl. “I’m sure your parents are very worried about you. We should find them first.”

The girl shook her head. “All they care about is their stupid phones.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.” Ladybug lifted the girl onto her shoulders. “Tell me when you see them.”

Within a few minutes, they found the girls frantic, teary-eyed parents. The girl, Marie, tightly clung the checkers game to her chest as her mom and Dad showered her with relieved hugs and kisses. 

It was the first time Ladybug was tempted not to use her Miraculous Cure. Without their phones to distract them, maybe Marie’s parents would play with her. Would her Lucky Charm last after she de-transformed?

Ladybug scanned the crowd for Alya and Nino. With this many people, it might be easier to find them as Ladybug before she transformed back. Using her yo-yo, she sprung to the top of another lamppost. But it wasn’t Alya that caught her attention. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a gaunt, bald man with a photo of Adrien in his hand.

-Not that having a photo of Adrien was weird. She had many herself. But the man did seem like he was the fanboy type. That, and he appeared to be scanning the crowd as if he were looking for someone. Ladybug gulped. It was as if he was looking for Adrien. Something about him made Ladybug’s skin crawl. She needed to investigate further.

The man walked slowly through the crowd. Ladybug noticed that he had a guitar case in his other hand. As part of the heroes day celebration, there were musicians all over the park. A guitar case wouldn’t be out of place. But this man didn’t strike her as a performer.

Ladybug’s earrings gave their final beep. With a groan, she ducked behind a booth to de-transform. She quickly handed Tikki a cookie. “Eat up fast, Tikki. I think we might need Ladybug again.”

Tikki nodded and flew into her purse. Marinette ran back into the crowd and frantically tried to find the man again. But there were just too many people! Marinette sprinted up and down the rows of booths attempting to see him again. Once again, she cursed her shortness.

“Tikki!” Marinette whined. ”Are you ready yet?”

“Almost. Just another minute.”

Marinette jumped up and down, trying to see above the crowd. In front of a distant art booth, she saw Nino and Alya and….Adrien’s bodyguard? Marinette looked for the nearest lamppost and climbed the base for a better look. Adrien was with them too. Or at least, she was pretty sure it was Adrien. He had a black cap hiding his hair and large sunglasses over his eyes.

Then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the bald man again. He was peeking out from behind a booth. He no longer had Adrien’s photo in his hand; he had a gun with a long muzzle. And he was looking straight at Adrien!

Adrenaline washed over Marinette. She needed to act. Now! 

She ducked behind a booth. “Tikki, Spots on!”

“I need more time!” Tikki whined.

“But, Tikki,” Marinette choked. “It’s Adrien!”

Marinette ran back out into the crowd. By now, the man had lifted the barrel of the gun and was peering through the scope. She could never make it to the man in time, but maybe she could make it to Adrien. Marinette jumped down off her perch and sprinted through the crowd. _Just a little ways more!_

“Tikki! Spots on!” Marinette cried, not caring who saw her. But the familiar feel of the transformation never came. 

Her heart was pounding in her chest as she weaved in and out of the throng of people. Until, at last, she saw Adrien again. He was focused on some posters and had his back toward her. She called his name, but her voice was lost in the crowd’s noise.

Then, with all her weight behind her, Marinette jumped, reaching her arms out for Adrien. Her hands gripped his shoulders with all her might as she tackled him toward the ground.

A loud mechanical ‘pop’ echoed in her ears.


	2. Alya Acts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Alya, Nino, and Adrien are shopping, suddenly, Marinette tackles Adrien to the ground. Alya tries to help her friend in the only way she knows how.

-Fifteen minutes earlier-

“I really need to go,” Marinette called back. “I’ll explain later.”

Alya sighed as she crossed her arms and watched Marinette disappear into the crowd.  _ What is with that girl?  _

“Is she flaking out again?” Nino asked.

“Who knows,” Alya shugged. “Maybe I should have warned her about Adrien showing up. Will Kagami be with him?”

“Nah… I think she’s back in Japan for a while.” Nino wrapped an arm around her shoulder. With a smile, Alya snuggled into his touch. It wasn’t a terrible way to wait.

Soon, over the crowd, Alya spotted a man who was a head taller than everyone else. She nudged Nino and pointed. At first glance, Ayla thought Adrien’s bodyguard had arrived all by himself. Then she spotted the young man walking in front of him. Alya laughed at Adrien’s appearance. She wondered if her friend had looked up ‘disguise’ on the internet and decided to copy the first look he saw. Adrien’s blond hair was hidden under a black cap, and large, mirrored sunglasses hid his eyes. Adrien smiled as he walked over to his friends.

“Dude, cap and glasses?” Nino smirked. “Are you trying to copy my look?”

“Hey! It's a good look. Just trying something new. Father might not know I’m here.” Adrien lowered his glasses to wink at his friends. “It would be better if no pictures of me ended up on the internet.”

Alya giggled at her friend. Good for him; a little rebellion should do him some good. She grabbed Nino’s hand. “Come on, let’s go check out the vendors. I’m hoping there’s more Carapace merchandise this year.”

“I’m hoping to find a Rena Rouge pillow,” Nino squeezed her hand. “Should we wait for Marinette?” Nino asked.

Alya looked off in the direction her friend ran. “She has her phone; she can call if she wants to find us again.”

The four headed down the first row of booths. Much to Alya’s delight, there was a lot more Rena Rouge and Carapace merchandise than last year. She might have to save her money and only buy her favorites. But how could she decide? Some of these bookmarks and keychains were just so cute! She let Nino and Adrien wander ahead. Decisions like these can’t be rushed.

“Hey, babe! You need to come see this!” Nino yelled from an artist booth. With a smile, Alya walked over to where Nino was looking at a folder of posters. Her face heated up when she saw the illustrations. The artist had chosen to redesign the outfits of Paris’ favorite heroes- she gulped- in very revealing ways.

“Do you think Trixx could try this?” Nino leaned over and whispered in her ear.

Alya shot him a dirty look. She flipped the pages of the folder until she found a similar take on Carapace. “I dunno… do you think Wayzz would go for that? It doesn’t seem like it would protect very much.”

Nino blushed as he looked at the print.

“Hey!” the booth attendant shouted at them. “That folder is adults only.”

Alya giggled as she scurried over to the next booth. Though, as she looked back, she saw Adrien inspecting the same folder. After a minute, she noticed the tips of his ears seemed a bit pink. Alya giggled. She knew he had a soft spot for Ladybug. Quite a few of those pictures should tickle his fancy.

Suddenly, Alya heard a loud bang as she saw Adrien tumble to the ground. Instantly, Adrien’s bodyguard shot off in the direction of the noise. Alya and Nino scrambled over to their fallen friend. But when she looked to the ground, she noticed Adrien appeared to have an extra set of legs. Quickly, Adrien pushed himself up to his knees, his sunglasses knocked from his face. Underneath where he fell, Marinette was lying on the grass. She was panting and looking up to the sky.

“Oh my god!” Alya dropped to her knees; a sudden realization washed over her. “Was that a gunshot just now?” She looked over to Adrien. His face was white with shock.

“I… I don’t know,” he stammered. “It didn’t sound like the movies.”

“Is Adrien okay?” Marinette asked so softly that Alya barely heard her.

“Yeah,” Alya smiled down at her friend. “Wow! You were quite the hero, just now.”

Marinette continued to lay on the ground; she seemed to be staring at something. Alya cranked her head to see, but she only saw clouds in the sky. “You doing okay, girl?” Alya asked.

“Is Adrien okay?” Marinette repeated.

Alya scooted closer to inspect her friend. She squirmed as she felt her knee touch something wet. “He’s fine. See? He’s right over there. Let’s get you up; I think you fell in a puddle.”

She reached for her friend’s hand to help her up, but Marinette didn’t grip it back. Alya's stomach twisted as a sinking fear washed over her. With shaking fingers, she touched the damp grass. All the air left her body as she looked at the glistening red on her hand. 

Alya stared at Adrien, trying to form out words. He only stared back at her, pale and wide-eyed.

“Nino!” Alya finally choked out, looking up to her boyfriend. “Call an ambulance!” She then looked to Adrien. “Your shirt. I need your shirt!”

Adrien shrugged off his white overshirt and quickly handed it to her. Alya crumbled it into a ball and rolled Marinette on to her side.

“Is Adrien okay?” Marinette asked again, her pale face staring straight ahead.

“He’s fine!” Alya shouted, pressing the balled-up shirt to Marinette’s back, trying to find the source of the bleeding. “He’s fine, you stupid, stupid girl!”

Tears were dripping from the end of Alya’s nose; her throat was so tight it hurt to breathe. When she pressed the shirt to Marinette’s mid-back, Alya instantly felt it saturate with warm blood. She heard a wail escape her body that she didn’t remember making. Marinette’s tiny body was losing blood too fast.  _ Oh god! _ Alya realized with horror.  _ Marinette isn’t going to survive this. _

Still keeping pressure on the wound, Alya raised Marinette into her arms. She held her friend with all her might, letting tears drop into her hair.

“Is Adrien okay?” Marinette asked, quieter this time.

Alya couldn’t control her sobs as she held her best friend. She bit her lip, hard, trying to focus on what she needed to do. With her eye’s blurred with tears, she looked over to Adrien. Tears were running down his cheeks as he stared at Alya in disbelief.

“I need you to take her.” Alya choked out.

“What? Me?” he stammered.

“I need you to hold her,” Alya spoke firmer this time. “And tell her you love her.”

His brows furrowed in confusion. “What… why?”

Alya took a deep breath and swallowed. She was about to tell the biggest lie of her life.

“Please, Adrien. Tell her you love her. It might get her to hang on.”

Adrien nodded and gently lifted Marinette into his arms. Marinette didn’t react to the touch but continued to stare straight ahead.

Numbly, Alya rose to her feet and staggered toward Nino. He was busy talking to emergency services on his phone. Alya looked at the vast crowd of people in front of her. An ambulance would need a path, and there wasn’t one. Alya winced and clenched her fists. She needed to do something! She needed to do something other than watch her friend die.

“Please,” she whispered. “Please, make a path.” Alya knew no one heard her. Her heart pounded in her ribcage as she stared into the multitude of people in front of her. A few people had noticed Marinette on the ground, but most were still walking by unaware. 

Alya stood with her back to Adrien. It was the final seconds of her friend’s life, and she couldn’t do anything! They lived in a time of magic and superheroes, and her friend was going to die from a stupid gun. Alya never felt so helpless in her entire life.

“Alya!!” she heard Adrien’s panicked shout. “She stopped breathing! Alya! Help me!”

Alya felt like her chest was about to explode. She squeezed her eyes shut. Alya knew she should help, but she couldn’t turn around to face Adrien. She hated how much of a coward she was, but she just couldn’t bear to see Marinette dead.

“Please!” Alya tried to scream, but her voice had no power. “Please, everyone, move out of the way!” 

Suddenly, bangs and pops erupted from all over. In an instant, people were screaming and running away as lights, speakers, and digital displays exploded from all around. The noises were coming from every direction, and no one knew where to run. People were falling and stomping all over each other in a frantic stampede. Alya felt Nino grab her by the shoulders and shove her under a table.

Alya clung to Nino for dear life, desperately hoping to wake up from this nightmare. That had to be it, right? She must have been dreaming. Something this terrible couldn’t possibly be real. Alya bit her lip until she tasted blood. She felt her body shake as her last hope vanished. Five minutes ago, Marinette was fine. How had the world changed so fast in just five stupid minutes?

They stayed under the table until the explosions stopped, but it was far from quiet. Children were crying, and people were calling to each other. After a few minutes, Nino took her by the hand and helped her out from under the table. With wide eyes, Alya stared at the scene in front of her.

The air was hazy and smelled strongly of smoke. Broken glass littered the ground. Many of the booths had been damaged and knocked over in the confusion. Alya took a deep, shaky breath and looked over to where she had last seen Adrien and Marinette. But there was no sign of her friends. All that remained was Adrien’s bloody shirt on the ground.

She looked over to Nino’s tear-stained face.

“Where did they go?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Adrien tells Marinette he loves her. Plagg intervenes.
> 
> Extra special thank you to my beta this chapter. [Khanofallorcs. ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khanofallorcs)


	3. Adrien Tells Marinette He Loves Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and his bodyguard sneak out to the Heroes' Day Celebration. Marinette is shot as she tackles him to the ground. Plagg has a plan.

Adrien bounced with excitement as he and his bodyguard walked to the Trocadéro. Yes! He was finally free! Well, not technically free. Adrien glanced over to the imposing man at his side, but he was out of his house. And not a moment too soon, either. He felt like he was going crazy.

His bodyguard cleared his throat, and Adrien stopped his bouncing. Right. He didn’t want to attract attention to himself. His father didn’t know about his ‘little adventure’ and Adrien was doing his best to keep it that way. Luckily, his bodyguard had a weakness for action figures, and Adrien promised there would be many rare ones available for purchase.

Adrien stood on his toes and looked for his friends. They were supposed to meet somewhere around here, but it was impossible to see through the crowd. He really wished he could take off his sunglasses, but he couldn’t risk being discovered. Ironically, Adrien would have drawn less attention had he been transformed into Chat Noir. It seemed half the people here were in some form of cosplay. He saw everything from simple black cat ears, to full-on Ladybug onesies. It was like half of Paris was having a hero-themed costume party.

Finally, his bodyguard tapped Adrien on the shoulder and pointed him in the direction of a waving Nino. Adrien couldn’t help but smile as he drew closer to his friends. He saw Alya raise her eyebrow at his disguise. Thankfully, Nino was far more enthusiastic. 

“Dude! Cap and glasses? Are you trying to copy my look?” Nino teased.

Adrien reached up to check his hair, making sure no stray strains escaped his baseball cap. “Hey! It's a good look. Just trying something new. Father might not know I’m here.” Adrien lowered his glasses to wink at his friends. “It would be better if no pictures of me ended up on the internet.”

Both of his friends nodded, knowingly.

“Come on, let’s go check out the vendors,” Alya said as she took Nino’s hand. “I’m hoping there’s more Carapace merchandise this year.” Adrien grinned, happy that Carapace had a fangirl. Good for him! He deserved it! Adrien thought as he followed the happy couple to the merchandise vendors. Though, he secretly envied Alya. If she wanted to, she could decorate her room with all the superhero items she could buy. But Adrien had to limit himself to a few hidden photos and action figures.

As he watched Alya bounce from booth to booth, he couldn’t help chuckle at her excitement. Even if Adrien couldn’t own any Ladybug merchandise, he got to spend time with the real thing. _I wonder what she thinks of all this?_ Adrien found himself musing. Was she humbled that Paris would go to such lengths to honor her, or would she be embarrassed that someone put her likeness on a pillow?

As Adrien continued walking, he found himself at a booth that had Chat Noir and Ladybug perfume. Curiosity got the better of him. What did people think their heroes smelled like? Adrien lifted a tester to his nose and inhaled the Ladybug smell. He winced immediately. It was overwhelmingly floral and powdery, nothing like the scent of his Lady. Though Adrien doubted many people knew that.

“Checking out the competition?” Adrien looked up to see Nino at his side. “So how does _‘Ladybug the Fragrance_ ’ compare to ‘ _Adrien the Fragrance_ ’?”

“Well, they are equally wrong,” Adrien responded with a grin. Then, he picked up the Chat Noir cologne and gave it a big whiff. Oh, man. Now that was just foul! But probably for the best. It would be weird if the perfumes actually smelled like them.

“So… not buying any as a gift for the girlfriend?” Nino teased.

“Girlfriend? You mean Kagami?” Adrien asked. “She’s not technically my girlfriend.” Which was true. They’d never actually discussed anything like that. But, she was the only friend his father allowed Adrien to see during his heightened lockdown. But he doubted she would like any cheap perfume as a gift. Maybe he could find some Ryuuko merchandise.

“Then you’re missing out, dude.” Nino playfully nudged his arm. “Maybe someone just needs to lock you two in a panther cage.”

Adrien rolled his eyes. He knew his friend meant well, but honestly, he was tired of people asking about his love life. “Nah. I think I’ve had enough of being locked up for a lifetime.”

“Ouch!” Nino winced dramatically. “Well, you’re free today, my man. Enjoy it while it lasts. Whoa! Look at that masterpiece!” Nino’s attention was drawn elsewhere. With a sigh, Adrien watched his friend sprint over to a large Rena Rouge poster. He then turned his attention to the other merchandise in front of him. Hmm… Maybe a Ladybug themed bar soap could go unnoticed in his shower. Adrien brought the bar up to his nose. Unlike the perfume, the soup had a light fruity scent. Well, it was closer, anyway. His Lady did always smell delicious. But more like vanilla and cinnamon than fruit.

Adrien looked over to see Alya and Nino giggling while looking through a folder at an artist’s booth. Whatever art was in there, it must have been good, judging by their reactions. After his friends moved on, Adrien slowly wandered over to the folder. His curiosity was piqued, after all.

He immediately blushed when he saw the artwork. Adrien turned around to make sure his bodyguard was at a comfortable distance before he thumbed through the pages. The artist had very, _ahem_... provocative interpretations of the heroes’ outfits. Adrien blinked and tilted his head. While esthetically quite pleasing, he doubted these suits would hold up well in a battle.

Suddenly, Adrien was thrown down to the ground as a loud ‘bang’ rang in his ears. Once he hit the grass, he found himself rolling with the force of whatever had grabbed him. 

When the motion stopped, Adrien pushed himself up into a kneel. He rubbed his face, trying to reorient himself after the sudden movement. Instantly, Adrien’s eyes dropped to the source of his fall. Marinette lied on the ground, panting as she stared up at the sky. _Huh? Why would Marinette tackle him?_ Adrien blinked as his thoughts struggled to process everything that happened in the last few seconds.

“Oh my god!” Alya dropped to her knees beside Marinette. “Was that a gunshot just now?” 

Icy chills washed over Adrien. _A gun?!_ “I… I don’t know,” he stammered. “It didn’t sound like the movies.”

“Is Adrien okay?” Marinette asked so softly that Adrien barely heard her.

“Yeah,” Alya smiled down at her friend. “Wow! You were quite the hero, just now.”

Wha…. What?!? Was someone trying to shoot him with a gun? Did his friend just save his life? Marinette continued to lay on the ground as the weight of the situation washed over Adrien. He shouldn’t have come. The disguise wasn’t enough. Oh, no! He had put his friends in danger.

“You doing okay, girl?” Alya asked.

“Is Adrien okay?” Marinette repeated.

Adrien paled as dread descended upon him. Marinette had already asked that question. And... she didn’t seem to be responding to them at all. Adrien gulped, there was something _very_ wrong with his friend. Alya scooted closer to Marinette. “He’s fine. See? He’s right over there. Let’s get you up, I think you fell in a puddle.”

Numbly, Adrien watched Alya grab Marinette’s hand, but she didn’t grip it back. Alya's face fell as she touched the ground. When she bought her hand back up, Adrien saw her fingertips were bright with blood. A deep visceral fear started rising within him as his heart pounded loudly in his ears. _Oh, god! Marinette is hurt!_

“Nino!” Alya yelled, looking up to her boyfriend. “Call an ambulance!” She then looked to Adrien. “Your shirt. I need your shirt!”

Adrien shrugged off his white overshirt and quickly handed it to her. Alya crumbled it into a ball and rolled Marinette on to her side. _She’ll be alright. She’ll be alright._ Adrien kept telling himself. Maybe she just cut herself in the fall.

“Is Adrien okay?” Marinette asked again. She was staring in his direction, but her eyes weren’t focusing.

“He’s fine!” Alya shouted, pressing the balled-up shirt to Marinette’s back. Adrien saw tears dripping from her face. “He’s fine, you stupid, stupid girl!” 

Adrien watched in horror as Alya’s face suddenly twisted. She let out a guttural wail as she gathered Marinette into her arms. Gently, Alya rocked her friend as she sobbed. Everything was happening too fast. What was he supposed to do?!

“Is Adrien okay?” Marinette asked, quieter this time.

With her face streaked with tears, Alya looked up and met Adrien’s eyes. He had never seen his friend look so terrified before. “I need you to take her.” Alya choked out.

“What? Me?” he stammered. Adrien didn’t have any first aid knowledge. He wanted to help, but Alya seemed to know a lot more than he did.

“I need you to hold her,” Alya spoke firmer this time. “And tell her you love her.”

 _Huh?_ “What… why?”

“Please, Adrien.” There was an unmistakable desperation in her voice. “Tell her you love her. It might get her to hang on.”

Adrien nodded. Okay, he could do that. Gingerly, he reached for Marinette and lifted her out of Alya’s arms. He noticed the back of her blazzer was wet as he settled her on his lap. Tears freely fell from his face as he cradled her against his body. If she knew he was there, she didn’t show it. She didn’t react at all.

“Uh… Marinette?” Adrien spoke her name gently. 

“Adrien?” She whispered softly, her half-lidded eyes still stared into nothing.

“I, umm…” he swallowed. He wasn’t sure why Alya thought this would help, but he would try anything. “I… love you?

Suddenly, Marinette’s eyes shot wide open and locked onto his. Her eyebrows lifted in surprise as she blinked at him. Relief washed over Adrien. Marinette had reacted! Maybe she would be alright after all.

“You… you love me?” she asked hesitantly. 

Adrien nodded, still amazed that his words had pulled her out of her daze. “Yeah,” he smiled through his tears. “I… I love you,” he told her firmer this time. _It was working!_

The muscles in Marinette’s face relaxed as she softly smiled back. A calm expression settled over her face.

“I love you, too.” 

Adrien felt the tension leave his friends body as she continued to stare at him. Her small smile never left her face as she lay motionless. She wasn’t even blinking anymore. Adrien gently shook her, trying to get a reaction, but she didn’t move. Panic started building within him as Adrien brought a hand to her chest. He closed his eyes, trying to feel her shallow breaths. Trying to feel her heartbeat.

But there wasn’t any.

“Alya!!” Adrien screamed, “She stopped breathing! Alya! Help me!” He started to shake her more roughly, but she didn’t respond. _No! No! No! No!_

Suddenly, Plagg was beside his ear. “I’ll create a distraction. Pick her up and carry her behind the t-shirt vendor.”

“Wha…” Adrien’s breaths were shallow and rapid. He tried tapping Marinette’s cheek, but she just wouldn’t move!

“We can help her!” Plagg spoke firmly. “But you have to focus. Do you think you can carry her?”

Adrien nodded, still trying to rouse Marinette.

Plagg darted into the ground leaving Adrien holding Marinette. He looked down at his unmoving friend. Her unblinking eyes didn’t move as he gently caressed her hair away from her sweaty forehead. Her normally pink lips were now a sickly grey. Adrien closed his eyes and shook his head. _Oh, god!_ _This can’t be happening! Please! This can’t be happening!_

Adrien lifted her higher until he could place a kiss on Marinette’s brow. “Please, hang on, Marinette,” he begged.

Then all at once, loud bangs and pops happened all around him. He curled his body around Marinette’s, trying to shield her from the debris. People were screaming and running everywhere as Adrien tried to focus. T-shirt vendor! He had to get Marinette behind the T-shirt vendor.

Every instinct in Adrien’s body wanted to take cover, but he remembered he had a job to do. Smoke was filling the air as he quickly lifted Marinette into his arms and ran behind the booth. He ducked out of sight, waiting for Plagg to reappear. The explosions and screams were still going on when Plagg found him. 

“We can help her!” Plagg repeated, shouting over the noise. “But you need to transform and take Marinette to the safe house.” Adrien noticed he had a large black bag in his arms.

“I can’t!” Adrien yelled back. “She needs a hospital!” 

“They can’t help her! She’s too far gone for them.” Plagg held up the bag. “Wrap her in this and carry her as fast as you can. If you run fast enough, the bag will blend in with your suit. People won’t be able to see her. ”

“I can’t… I can’t put her in that.” Adrien looked at the shiny garbage bag as he hugged Marinette to his chest defensively. “She won’t be able to breathe.”

“She’s not breathing now, and that’s not going to change unless we hurry. Just go!”

With shaking hands, Adrien grabbed the bag from Plagg. He had to focus; Marinette needed him. He could do this! 

“Claws out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: The Kwamis can save Marinette, but everything must be kept in balance. 
> 
> Extra special thank you to my beta this chapter. [Khanofallorcs. ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khanofallorcs)


	4. The Kwamis Intervene

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien takes Marinette to the safe house. The kwamis attempt to save Marinette.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously: An assassin targeted Adrien at a heroes’ day celebration. Marinette was shot as she tackled Adrien to the ground. Plagg created a distraction and told Adrien to take Marinette to the safe house.

Chat Noir had never run so fast in his life. In under two minutes, he arrived at a small rooftop balcony. The ‘safe house’ was an abandoned apartment Chat Noir had discovered during a patrol. It appeared to be in the early stages of a remodel when all work had stopped. When Ladybug enquired about it, she was told that the owners were going through a messy divorce, and it was likely to be empty a while longer. But for now, it served as an emergency meet up point. 

As he shifted the garbage bag in his arms, Chat Noir opened the casement window. His transformation dropped as soon as he jumped inside the small apartment.

The bag instantly felt heavier as he lowered Marinette down on the bare wood floor. He swiftly slid his friend out of the thick plastic. A panicked sob ripped out of his chest as Adrien saw his friend again. Marinette looked even worse than before.

Her skin was beyond pale. It was a sickening grey with her half-lidded eyes blankly staring forward. They didn’t even look blue anymore. Her pupils were dilated to the point that her eyes looked black. No, this wasn’t Marinette. It was just some grey-skinned Marinette doll. 

Panic started to rise within Adrien. He shouldn’t have brought her here; she needed a hospital! Oh, god! what had he done? Adrien began to tremble as his breaths came out shaky and panicked. Tears started falling from his eyes. Why had he listened to Plagg?!? He shouldn’t have brought her here.

“Adrien! Adrien!” Plagg was yelling in his ear. Adrien jolted to alertness, suddenly realizing that his Kwamii had been shouting for some time. “Please, Adrien. Focus. Tikki should be here soon.”

“Is.. is Ladybug coming?” Adrien asked, turning away from Marinette.

“No, we just need the Kwamis.” 

“Are we going to combine the Miraculous?” Dread washed over him. “No, they can’t be used for-”

“The Kwamis can act on their own. Listen, Adrien. Once Tikki arrives, things will need to happen really fast. I need you to focus and do exactly as she says.”

“Wha..?” Adrien struggled to understand the words coming out of Plaggs mouth. “Are you leaving?”

“I can’t heal her, but I can help stop the decay. Please, Adrien. You need to trust us!” Adrien watched in shock as his Kwamii turned away and disappeared into Marinette’s body.

Adrien’s heart pounded in his ears as he stared at his unmoving friend.  _ This is my fault! It’s all my fault, _ his mind repeated. The bullet was meant for him. Oh, god! If he hadn’t snuck out today, Marinette would still be breathing.

_ Focus. Focus. Focus! _

“Her shirt is wet,” Adrien spoke aloud to the empty room. Numbly, he stood up and walked to a partially demolished wall. There was a duffle bag Adrien had hidden there months ago. With shaking hands, he pulled out a blanket and a hoodie before he returned to Marinette.

He knelt beside her, trying to swallow the nausea growing with him. He didn’t want to touch her. Adrien hated the way this Marinette-doll looked, with her black eyes and greyish skin. Everything about her was wrong. He swallowed the bile rising in his throat as he reached for her eyelids, gently lowering them over her unnaturally black eyes.

Adrien slapped his cheeks hard. He had to focus. According to Plagg, Tikki would be here any moment. Until then… damn it! He needed to do something! The only thing he could do right now was to make his friend more comfortable.

With a wince, Adrien gently lifted Marinette’s shoulders off the floor, pulling off her blazer at the same time. Next, he peeled off Marinette’s white top, trying not to look at the blood saturated fabric. Once it was free of her arms, Adrien balled it up and threw it into the corner. Then, he slowly placed the hoodie over her head and pulled Marinette’s arms through. With great care, Adrien set her back down on the floor and spread the blanket out beside her. He gently gathered her into his arms and gently placed her on the blanket, wrapping it around her body.

She looked better now, almost as if she was sleeping. Adrien softy smoothed her hair back into place.

Suddenly, Tikki phased through the window with a gathered handkerchief in her arms. As she dropped it on the floor, all sorts of jewelry spilled out.

“Put these on,” Tikki commanded.

Adrien nodded as he reached for the snake Miraculous. As he slid it on his wrist, Sass suddenly appeared. Next, Adrien grabbed for the Fox pendant, then the Dragon collar. With each piece of jewel, Adrien felt heavier and heavier, but he didn’t stop. He grabbed the comb, circlet, and hairclips. As each Kwami materialized in front of him, they turned and raced over to Marinette. 

Adrien’s head pounded as he put the last Miraculous on his body. It was hard to concentrate; it was even hard to breathe. He even struggled to keep his body upright. Adrien blinked, trying to get his eyes to focus on the group of Kwamis in front of him.

All of a sudden, Wayzz appeared in front of his face. “We can heal her body, but we must take something from you,” he warned. “Everything must be kept in balance.”

“Take whatever you need. I don’t care!” Adrien choked out. “It should have been me.” He looked down at Marinette. “Please, it should have been me.”

Wayzz nodded and joined the other Kwamis. They were soon flying around in a circle around Marinette, chanting in a language Adrien didn’t recognize. Their dancing was mesmerizing; Adrien found he couldn’t look away. 

“Adrien, you must call her soul back,” he heard Tikki call out. “Close your eyes and picture Marinette.”

Adrien closed his eyes, picturing his sweet classmate. Her easy smile, her cute laugh, the times they played video games together. The way she felt when they danced together. Then, without warning, Adrien felt like he was falling; he could no longer feel his body on the floor. Adrien closed his eyes harder, fighting off the distraction. He had to think of Marinette, to call back her soul or whatever Tikki said. Dear sweet Marinette. Who was always so kind, gentle, caring. She deserved so much better than this.

A warmth started filling his chest. As much as he tried to keep his eyes closed, the feeling was so intense Adrien couldn’t help open them. He gasped at the sight in front of him. Adrien was no longer in the demolished apartment. He didn’t even think he was on earth anymore! Tiny dots of light sparkled everywhere in a blue-black darkness. Adrien looked down at his hands; he was almost surprised to see he was still in his body.

“Marinette!” he shouted into the void. How was he supposed to call her back? Tikki hadn’t told him. And… there was nothing here! Adrien turned around, frantically looking in every direction.

There was a bright shape floating in the distance. Adrien squinted, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the intensity of the light. He began to make out its human form. It was a very familiar silhouette. Adrien recognized it right away.

_ But why was she here? Was it really her? _

“My Lady! I need your help!” He called out to the featureless shape. “Please! I have to find Marinette!” The glowing form floated in front of him; she was too bright to see clearly. As she drew closer, Adrien squinted in the light. His eyes hurt as he gazed at her, but he wouldn’t close them. As she floated in front of him, Adrien couldn’t make out any features other than her bluebell eyes.

“Please,” Adrien begged. “I need to find her.”

A glowing hand stretched toward him. Adrien hesitated a moment before he reached back. As his fingertips touched hers, the light started to withdraw from her skin, revealing opaque pink fingers in its wake. Adrien watched in amazement as more and more light transformed into flesh. Soon an entire hand was revealed, then an arm, then a torso. Until finally, the blinding light faded from her face, revealing… revealing...

...Marinette?

Adrien blinked back at the smiling face in front of him. But...but this was Ladybug? He tried to swallow, but his mouth felt too dry. All at once, overlapping images of Marinette and Ladybug bombarded his mind. Ladybug and Marinette. Whatever magic was shielding her identity didn’t exist in this place. Adrien could see  _ her! _ Oh, god! It was his Lady floating before him. His lady who had jumped in front of a gun to save his life! His Lady, who was… Marinette.

Suddenly, Adrien felt like he was being thrown backward and falling all at the same time. He closed his eyes and focused on holding on to Marinette’s hand. 

Then, there was darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Time: Marinette wakes up.
> 
> Extra special thank you to my beta this chapter. [Khanofallorcs. ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khanofallorcs)


	5. Marinette wakes up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the Kwamis revived her, Marinette wakes up.

Marinette was floating.

It was like a dream; a pleasant dream. Marinette felt totally at peace. Was this what happened to people after they die? Marinette had never thought much about it before. Why would she? She was young and healthy. Even the battles with Hawkmoth had never made her consider her mortality.

With her eyes closed, she squinted in the light. Part of her face felt warm, almost as if she were lying in the sun. It was peaceful here. The gentle sounds of traffic reminded her of home. Inhaling deeply, Marinette's face twisted at the smell of sawdust. She slowly raised her eyelids. Somehow, the simple act seemed to take far more effort than it should.

Marinette’s eyes were slow to focus on the sight in front of her. A blond-haired angel lay at her side, with the tips of his golden hair glowing in the sunlight. Oh, how soft it looked. Marinette wanted to touch those silken locks, but her arms felt too weak to move. How fitting. Her angel looked just like Adrien, the sweet boy she had given her heart to years ago. The boy she gave her life to protect. Marinette smiled at her angel, closely watching the rise and fall of his chest.

After a minute, the angel moved in his sleep, turning his face toward hers. Marinette blinked in confusion. Why did her angel have a nose ring? And... hair clips? The more she looked at her angel, the more he didn’t make any sense.

Suddenly, Tikki flew in front of her face. “Marinette!” she shouted. “You’re awake.”

She cringed at the sharp voice of her Kwami. Was Tikki always this loud? And why was she here? Marinette attempted to speak, but her tongue sat uselessly in her mouth. She tried to swallow, but her body was slow to react. Gradually, Marinette willed her numb body to respond. 

By now, a dozen Kwamis hovered around her, all looking at her with faces of joy and relief. _Huh? Why would the Kwamis be here?_ Marinette closed her eyes again, suddenly feeling quite queasy. A moment later, she felt something wet against her lips.

“Here, drink this, Marinette,” it was Tikki’s voice again. “It’ll help.” 

She took a few tiny swallows and started coughing.

“Marinette?” a familiar male voice called out.

 _Huh?_ Her angel even sounded like Adrien.

Slowly, Marinette opened her eyes again. The Adrien-angel was staring back at her with a look of astonishment. But even bathed in the golden light of evening, his skin looked too yellow.

With a wince, Adrien propped himself up on his elbows. He immediately hissed. “Owww! My head.”

A moment later, Tikki was offering him a bottle of water.

Marinette blinked at the scene in front of her, confused at the sight. This… this wasn’t an angel at all. But why were Adrien and Tikki together? No. None of this made sense. 

“Adrien?” she whispered; her raspy voice sounded foreign to her ears.

“Marinette?” A gleeful smiled spread over Adrien’s face. “You’re… you’re pink, again.”

“You’re... not.” Marinette continued to stare at him. He _really_ didn’t look good. Even the sclera of his eyes had a sickly green color. “What happened to you?”

Adrien pushed himself into a sitting position and winced again, grabbing his forehead.

“Easy, easy,” Wayzz spoke soothingly. “Perhaps it’s best not to sit up so fast.”

Marinette’s mind struggled to understand what was going on in front of her. The Kwamis were talking to Adrien. But… Why were the Kwamis out? Her eyes fell to the mismatched jewelry adorning Adrien’s body. Huh? What?! Adrien was wearing the Miraculouses. Like, all of them! Did Tikki bring them to him? But that still wouldn’t explain the color of his skin.

“What’s wrong with Adrien?” Marinette asked as she slowly sat up. She had so many questions, but she needed to make sure her friend was okay first.

“You were shot, Marinette,” Wayzz explained. “We needed to heal you, but things always have to balance. We took a lot of Adrien’s blood.”

“...and a part of his liver!” Barkk added.

“You took too much of it!” Xuppu snapped. “He looks like a banana.”

“My… my liver?” Adrien’s hands immediately flew to his side, inspecting his skin. 

“We didn’t leave a mark, if that’s what you're worried about,” Kaalki crossed her arms defensively. “We’re professionals.”

Adrien gazed down at his hands, blinking at the yellow pallor of his skin.

“Don’t worry, young man, _whom I have never met before_ ,” Plagg flew in front of his face. “It’ll grow back.”

Marinette squirmed in her skin. The Kwamis put part of Adrien’s liver inside her?! She brought her hand to her back and gingerly touched the skin. It was tender to the touch, but there was no sign of any injury. Her eyes soon fell to the black Kwami in Adrien’s hand.

“Plagg, why are you here?!” Marinette suddenly saw the ring on Adrien’s finger. It was Chat’s Miraculous, black and uncamouflaged. 

“We needed everyone, Marinette,” Tikki answered apologetically.

“You took away Chat’s Miraculous?!” Marinette felt horrified, instantly worried about her partner and the confusion he must be going through.

“We did what we had to do. Don’t ask us any more,” Wayzz told her. “Now, more than ever, we have to protect Chat Noir’s identity.”

Adrien looked like he wanted to say something. He opened his mouth but stopped himself.

Marinette felt sick to her stomach. When Master Fu took Tikki away in the middle of the night; it was one of the most terrifying moments of her life. Now, thanks to her, the Kwamis had stolen Chat’s Miraculous away. Marinette closed her eyes and shook her head, trying to quell the panic inside her.

“Please, you have to take his ring back, right away,” Marinette pleaded, opening her eyes. Plagg began to speak, but nothing but bubbles came out. She looked over to the turtle Kwami. “Wayzz, you know where Chat lives. You have to take the ring back.”

Wayzz nodded.

Marinette sighed in relief, looking up to the ceiling. Then, her eyes started darting around to the room around her.

“This… this is the safe house. How'd I get here?”

“Let’s just say a certain Kwami told Adrien to bring you here,” Tikki sweetly explained.

“Oh, Tikki,” Marinette brought her hands together for Tikki to land on. Once she did, Marinette lifted the Kwami to her face and gave her a little kiss. 

“So… umm,” Marinette shyly looked over to Adrien. Marinette was shocked to see his eyes full of affection and tenderness. “I guess my secret is out?”

“Yeah… I’m surprised I didn’t see it before,” Adrien chuckled softly. “My everyday Ladybug was the real one, after all.” 

The way he looked at her made it hard to breathe. Marinette felt her cheeks heat up at the intensity of his stare. Marinette suddenly felt very shy. Her eyes fell to her lap, her lap with her very naked thighs. _Oh, god_! She immediately shrieked and tried to pull down her shirt but stopped when she didn’t recognize the oversized hoodie she was wearing. “What happened to my clothes?!” 

“We washed them for you,” Trixx told her. “And got all the stains out. They should be dry by the afternoon.”

Okay. She could freak out about a dozen tiny gods striping her naked later. _Huh? Afternoon?_ Marinette looked at the long shadows on the floor. But isn’t it evening?

“Afternoon?!” Marinette could feel herself start to panic. “What time is it?”

“Just after sunrise. You two have been sleeping almost 16 hours,” Barkk told her.

 _Oh, god!_ Her parents must be so worried. Marinette looked around for her bag, but she didn’t see it anywhere. “Adrien, can I borrow your phone? I need to call home.”

“You can’t, Marinette; you were fatally injured,” Tikki sadly stated. “If you go back now, you’ll expose that you're Ladybug. You’ll put all your friends and family in danger.”

“What…? What do you mean?” Marinette stammered as dread washed over her. “I can’t go back?”

“Don’t worry,” Adrien reached out and squeezed her hand. “I’ll stay with you.”

“Adrien, you can’t stay,” Plagg touched his shoulder. “You have one of the most recognizable faces in Paris. Marinette needs to hide right now”

“But… How can I go back without Marinette? The last time people saw me, I had her body in my hands.”

 _Did Adrien carry her here? How did no one see?_ Marinette winced. Her groggy mind struggled to understand. She had too many questions, and every answer led to even more questions.

“There was a lot of confusion going on when you left the celebration,” Tikki explained. “A lot of people got hurt. We can use that to explain Adrien’s disappearance.”

“Wait? People get hurt?” Marinette’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“Umm,... there might have been a bit of Kwami-caused chaos.” Tikki looked guilty. “There needed to be a distraction to get you and Adrien out of there. But don’t worry, people are blaming the earlier Akuma.”

“You mean… the little girl?” A realization dawned on her. “I didn’t use the cure.”

“We need to send Adrien back, but… for this to work, he needs to be injured,” Wayzz flew in front of her. “We have to explain the blood loss, and also the lost time.”

“Don’t worry, Marinette,” Adrien winked. ”I can keep your secret.”

Marinette gulped. “You want to hurt Adrien more? Even after you took his blood and part of his liver? No! Absolutely not!”

“I’ll do it!” Adrien declared, ignoring her objection. “You need to get strong, so you can defeat Hawkmoth and come back to us.” Adrien staggered to a stand and held up his arms wide. “Do your best.”

“No! Wait!” Marinette reached out.

Ziggy, Xuppo, and Fluff started flying around Adrien in a tight circle. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light, and Adrien collapsed to the floor.

“Adrien!” Marinette screamed. She attempted to stand, but her legs were too weak. Cursing her useless muscles, she crawled over to Adrien’s prone body. She rolled him onto his back and patted his cheek. He didn’t respond to the touch, but Marinette could see that he was still breathing. Her heart sank as she saw a large gash in his hairline. His right ear was also full of dried blood. Marinette started to sob as she turned to the Kwamis. “What did you do!?”

“We mimicked an injury,” Ziggy grinned,

“No, we gave him an injury,” Xuppo corrected.

“But, we made it look like it’s from an explosion,” Ziggy added.

“I made it look like it happened 18 hours ago,” Fluff boasted proudly.

“Marinette,” Tikki patted her shoulder. “Focus. Ladybug needs to take him to the hospital.”

Marinette smoothed Adrien’s blood-crusted hair away from his forehead. “But… I don’t think I can stand.”

“Transform first. You’ll be stronger then.”

Marinette nodded. “Okay. Spots on.” 

The familiar sensation flowed over her, and instantly Ladybug’s body felt light again. There was no longer any trace of weakness and fatigue. Slowly, she began to remove the Miraculouses from Adrien’s body. One by one, the Kwamis vanished. After she had removed the Snake bracelet, she noticed Plagg curled up in Adrien’s palm.

“I could go with him,” Plagg offered softly with large, wet eyes. Ladybug gently patted his head.

“No, Plagg. We need to get you back to Chat. But here,” Ladybug slipped the ring onto her finger. “You can come with me to the hospital.”

Gently, she lifted Adrien in her arms, cradling him against her body. “I’ll never forget what you did for me,” Ladybug whispered as she kissed his temple. As she stood up, Plagg opened the window. Within moments, Ladybug was on her way to the hospital.

Adrien was still unconscious as Ladybug landed in the ambulance bay at the nearest hospital. She sprinted through the sliding glass doors and yelled at the man behind a desk. “Please help me. I found him in the street!” 

Within moments, a handful of people rushed to her side. Ladybug carefully laid Adrien onto a nearby gurney as a team started to evaluate him. Soon, he was being wheeled through swinging doors into a nearby trauma bay.

“He was looking for his friend,” Ladybug called out to them. “I… I couldn’t find her.”

 _He’ll be okay. He’ll be okay._ She repeated to herself as she sprinted out of the hospital. Using her yo-yo, Ladybug launched herself high onto the rooftops. Her first instinct was to head home and crash into her bed. But that wasn’t possible anymore, was it? Ladybug’s stomach twisted with the realization. Not without putting her family in danger. Adrien was already in the hospital because of her. She couldn’t bear to see anyone else get hurt.

Swallowing a sob, she headed in the direction of the safe house. Once inside, she exchanged sad looks with Plagg as she walked over to the blanket on the floor. _I guess this is my home now._

“Spots off,” Ladybug sighed. 

Marinette immediately collapsed to the floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Adrien comes to, covers for Marinette. Gabriel feels guilty.
> 
> Fun fact about live liver donations. You can donate up to 60% of your liver, and within months, it grows back to its original size.
> 
> Extra special thank you to my beta this chapter. [Khanofallorcs. ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khanofallorcs)


	6. Adrien Wakes Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remembering the plan, Adrien awakes in the hospital. He is shocked that Marinette’s parents have been waiting for him to wake up. Soon, he learns the full extent of the Kwami caused injury.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously, Marinette took a bullet meant for Adrien and died in his arms. The kwamis intervened and saved Marinette’s life by taking a lot of Adrien’s blood and part of his liver. Ziggy, Xuppo, and Fluff gave Adrien a head injury to explain his disappearance. Then Ladybug brought him to the hospital.

Adrien’s head was pounding. That was the first thing he noticed. Second was the smell of disinfectant. It was so strong it made his nose hurt. Licking his dry, cracked lips, Adrien turned his face over into his pillow, trying to get away from the annoying scent. He heard all sorts of noises around him. People were talking far away, and there was some kind of machine that hummed. It was probably a hospital, he guessed. Marinette must have brought him here.

Or, rather, Ladybug did.

Adrien’s thoughts drifted to Marinette. His everyday Ladybug. The _real_ Ladybug. She had been in front of him the whole time. A warmth filled his chest; he had finally discovered his Lady. And she was just as amazing on the other side of the mask, and every bit a hero.

Of course, it was Marinette that had saved his life. But… no. She shouldn’t have done that. Adrien was supposed to be the one to take the hits. He was the one that was dispensable, not her. It was his job to protect her.

Adrien turned his head to face the other direction. Oh, man! That hurt even more. And there was something fuzzy in his ear. Adrien winced and turned his head back.

He had always hated the secret identities. It had never mattered to him who Ladybug was; Adrien knew he loved her all the same. Knowing Marinette was Ladybug wouldn’t change how he fought next to her.

But now, Adrien felt like he might understand. The secret identity rule wasn’t for him at all; it was for Marinette. Would she really be able to send him into danger knowing he was Adrien? She had taken a bullet for him, sacrificing herself for her friend. Of course she would. She was loyal and protective like that. It was those qualities that make her Ladybug. 

Adrien sighed. If she knew that he was Chat Noir, would _she_ be able to fight next to him? Could she use her partner the way Chat Noir needed to be used? Or would she jump in front of another attack?

No. Chat Noir needed to be nameless, faceless; just a tool in her arsenal against Hawkmoth. 

Adrien squeezed his fingers together, noticing that his ring was gone. On instinct, he felt himself beginning to sweat. _It’s okay_ , he told himself. _It’s all part of the plan. Wayzz will bring it back when he can._

But for now, it was Adrien’s job to protect Marinette’s identity. He couldn’t let anyone know that Marinette was alive. It was up to him to protect her friends and family. The kwamis had knocked him out somehow. All he needed to do was pretend it happened at the Heroes Day festival. 

Adrien could do this, after all. His Lady was counting on him.

With a wince, Adrien opened his dry eyes. His gaze fell to his father’s form sitting near his bed. Gabriel was slumped to the side of a chair; his normally pristine clothes were wrinkled and unkempt. His father’s eyes were closed, and his jaw relaxed in sleep. In his hands, Gabriel loosely held a small book. Adrien recognized the cream and purple cover right away. It was “The Little Prince”. His mother used to read it to him as a bedtime story. Adrien felt his chin quiver. Was his father reading to him?

“Father?” Adrien choked out.

Instantly, Gabriel jerked awake. He grabbed Adrien’s hand and squeezed it tightly. Huh? Were those tears in his eyes? “Son! You’re awake! Oh, thank god!”

Adrien stared back; he had never seen his father look so terrible. It had obviously been several days since he had shaved. Instead of his hair being immaculately styled, Gabriel’s greasy hair hung in disheveled locks.

“I’m so sorry, Adrien,” his father’s bloodshot eyes met his. “So very sorry.”

For a moment, Adrien forgot his mission completely. Not even after his mother’s disappearance did his father seem so distressed. Adrien’s heart sank with guilt. He hadn’t considered what his father must have been going through. Still, he couldn’t let that distract him from what he needed to do. Adrien drew a shaky breath.

“Marinette?” he asked. Gabriel’s face instantly dropped at her name. “Did… did you find her? Where is she?”

“Shhh… Rest now,” his father patted his hand. “We can talk about Marinette in a minute. I’ll call the doctor.”

The tenderness in his voice shocked Adrien.

Soon, a nurse came in to check his vitals. To his dismay, Adrien discovered he had multiple tubes attached to his body. Thankfully, the nurse was willing to remove the most intrusive tube without much fuss. She wouldn’t, however, remove the bandage from his head no matter how nicely he asked. And the pressure in his ear was really starting to bother Adrien. 

Finally, the doctor appeared and introduced herself. She shined a light in his eyes, checked his reflexes, as well as a dozen other things. Keeping his face as neutral as possible, Adrien listened as she expressed concern over his bloodwork and how his liver appeared underdeveloped for someone his age.

“Can you remove this?” Adrien touched the gauzy padding on his head. “I think there’s something in my ear.”

The doctor finished typing on a nearby console before she spoke. “Adrien, it appears you were very close to one of the explosions caused by an Akuma three days ago.”

“Three days? What?” _Oh, man!_ The Kwamis were a little too ambitious with their injury.

“There is still a lot of swelling, so we cannot be sure at this time,” she continued. “But in this type of injury, it is not uncommon to see some degree of hearing loss.”

Adrien blinked in confusion. “So, there’s nothing in my ear?”

“There’s a lot of swelling right now. That is probably the pressure you feel.”

Adrien snapped his fingers outside his damaged ear. He still could hear the sound, but it seemed more distant than it should. He covered his good ear and lifted his arm to try again.

“Son, please,” his father took his hand. “Don’t worry about that, right now.”

Adrien turned back to Gabriel; he had a sinking feeling his father was keeping something from him. With his pounding head, it was hard to concentrate. But the more Adrien looked around the room, the more it dawned on him that he didn’t hear the world in stereo. With his free hand, he grabbed at the bandage but winced as it sent shivers of pain down his face and neck.

“Shhh…” Gabriel said soothingly, grabbing both of his hands now. “Please, Adrien, you have to let yourself heal.”

Adrien studied his father’s face. A realization dawned on him.

“Three days… have you been there this whole time?”

Gabriel nodded.

“But… your work?”

“Nathalie has been taking care of things in my absence.”

Adrien suddenly noticed another missing presence. “My bodyguard?!”

Gabriel sighed sadly. “He resigned.” 

Adrien felt like he had been kicked in the gut, instantly feeling ill. His bodyguard had been a constant through most of his life. To think that he was suddenly gone! Because of something that wasn’t even his fault. “No, father, please. It was my fault we were there. I talked him into it.”

“Don’t worry about that now.”

“Please, you have to let him come back,” Adrien begged.

“I’m not sure that’s what he wants. He has taken the whole situation pretty hard,” Gabriel smoothed Adrien’s hair away from his eyes. “But I’ll let him know I will consider it a leave of absence, instead.”

“Thank you,” Adrien whispered.

“Adrien?” The doctor spoke again. “There is an officer who wishes to talk with you. Do you feel up for it?”

“Only if he feels ready,” Gabriel interjected.

 _Huh?_ It was odd hearing his father be so defensive of him.

Adrien nodded. A few minutes after the doctor left, a uniformed man appeared in the doorway. Then, the man turned to hold the door open. Adrien froze as Tom and Sabine entered the room behind him. Icy panic started rising inside him. He knew what he had to say, but Adrien had never thought he would have to lie to _them_. Adrien stared down at his hands as he felt himself begin to tremble. _Oh god!_ He wasn’t sure he could do this.

His father seemed to notice his reaction to Marinette’s parents.

“We’ve been waiting together, ever since you and Marinette went missing,” Gabriel explained gently. “Once you were brought to the hospital, they asked if they could stay and wait for you to wake up.”

 _Of course, they would!_ Adrien winced. He had been the last person to see Marinette alive. He should have prepared himself for this. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he began to shake harder. _Come on, keep it together!_

“I…” he felt a sob forming in his throat. _Fuck! This was hard!_ “Did you find Marinette?”

“Adrien,” the officer began. “Can you tell us what you remember?”

 _You can do this. You can do this!_ Adrien repeated himself. _It’s for Marinette. To keep them safe. Just don’t look at them!_

Adrien took a deep breath and licked his cracked lips. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. “I, umm, convinced my bodyguard to take me to the Heroes’ Day Festival. We met up with Alya and Nino. Marinette had been there, too, but she disappeared for a bit.” 

Adrien’s heart was racing, but he hoped no one noticed. It made the pounding in his head so much worse.

“I was looking at some posters at an art booth. Then, there was a popping sound as Marinette threw me to the ground.”

Adrien looked up at the officer. “When I heard the sound, I didn’t think it was a gun.”

“The assailant had a suppressor,” the officer flatly explained.

“Um… but then,” Adrien could feel his breathing become shallow and rapid. “Marinette wasn’t getting up. Then, Alya yelled at Nino to call for an ambulance.”

Adrien paused for a moment, trying to swallow away the tightness in his throat. No one spoke as they waited for Adrien.

“Marinette, she…” Adrien stared at his hands. Hot tears were dripping from his eyes, but he did not attempt to wipe them away. “She kept on asking if I was alright.”

 _Is Adrien okay?_ Marinette’s words haunted his memory.

“Alya asked me to hold her and to try to talk to her. But, but…”

Adrien closed his eyes; he could still remember how she felt in his arms, how pale she looked. Her eyes as they locked with his at the end.

“..she stopped breathing.”

His heart felt ready to explode in his chest. Everything that he had said had been true, so far. This was the moment that would make or break Marinette’s secret. He had to lie to the four adults watching him closely. Adrien took a deep breath and swallowed.

“We were still so far from the street, and I thought if I could get her there faster, she might have a chance. But there were all these explosions. I think… I dropped her,” he winced as he clenched his fists. “I’m so sorry! I dropped her, and then I couldn’t find her again.”

Everyone in the room was silent, waiting for him to continue.

“I don’t remember anything after that.”

“Adrien. Listen to me. This is important.” The officer spoke softly. “There was nothing you could have done. We have already spoken to Miss Césaire. By our estimate, the bullet pierced her hepatic artery, and, given the type of ammunition used, it would have caused a massive amount of internal damage. Unless that injury took place in a hospital, it is unlikely she would have survived.” 

_Hepatic Artery?_ Adrien thought grimly. _That’s part of the liver, isn’t it?_

“Did anyone offer to help you carry Marinette?” the officer asked.

Adrien shook his head.

“Did you notice anyone watching you?

“No,” he answered quietly.

“We have the man who targeted you in custody, with plenty of evidence. He will be held accountable for what he did, as well as his conspirators. Unfortunately, this event happened in conjunction with an Akuma attack.”

Adrien noticed his father clench his jaw.

“Witness reports describe an Akuma with the ability of destruction,” the officer continued. “In the widespread panic, we think someone may have found your friend, and mistakenly believed she was trampled by the crowd and hid her out of misplaced guilt. Recovery effects have yet to be successful. Unlike previous events, there has been no Miraculous Cure.”

The officer asked a few follow-up questions. Then, he asked if Adrien had any questions for him, but Adrien shook his head. The less time he spent with the man, the better. If anyone would be able to see through his lies, it would probably be him. Soon, both the officer and the doctor departed, leaving Adrien and his father alone with Tom and Sabine. 

The silence was unbearable.

Adrien gulped and looked up from his hands. His heart broke as he saw Tom and Sabine. With all his willpower, he forced himself to meet Tom’s red eyes, knowing he was the cause of their pain.

“I’m so sorry,” he barely choked out. Tears were running down his cheeks again. “It should have been me.”

“No,” Tom stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. “It shouldn’t have been anyone.”

Adrien’s throat was so tight; it was hard to swallow. Tom looked like a shell of his former self. His eyes were so swollen, and his shoulders were slumped. Hesitantly, Sabine stepped forward. Adrien barely recognized her. She looked like she had aged 20 years since Adrien saw her last.

“What were…” her voice was so soft Adrien could barely hear. He turned his good ear toward her. “What were her last moments like? Was she scared?”

“No,” Adrien inhaled a shaky breath. “She was calm; she wasn’t in any pain. Alya told me to tell her I loved her.”

“Did you?” Tom asked with misty eyes.

Adrien nodded. “Yes. She said she loved me, too. She smiled at me then… then she… she…” All the breath vanished from Adrien’s chest as he remembered her body going limp in his arms, her unblinking eyes turning from their brilliant blue to unnatural black.

“Thank you, Adrien,” Sabine reached down to squeeze his hand.

Adrien recoiled. “NO!” he yelled back at her. “Don’t thank me. You should hate me! All of you! If I hadn’t gone out that day, she wouldn’t have… she wouldn’t have…” Adrien’s body was violently shaking as sobs tore at his throat. He brought his arms up to shield his face as he cried. Adrien’s head pounded as he struggled to breathe as his whole body trembled. He couldn’t do this! He couldn’t listen to Marinette’s parents be kind to him. It was just too cruel.

“It’s the least I can do, but I would like to cover all the funeral arrangements,” his father was talking again. “And any lost revenue from the bakery being closed.”

“What? No! You can’t give up!” Adrien shouted, throwing his arms down. “She could still be out there! We live in a time of magic. There could still be a miracle!”

“But, Son,” his father reached toward him and tried to wipe away tears from his face. “This wasn’t a magical attack.”

“Please!” Adrien turned toward Tom and Sabine’s heartbroken faces. He noticed Sabine had fresh tears. “You can’t just give up on her!”

“Calm down, Adrien,” his father spoke gently. “We’ve had days to process Marinette’s death. I know it’s still very new to you. You must not excite yourself.”

Adrien swatted his father’s arm away and covered his face. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a nurse enter the room. A moment later, Adrien noticed a syringe in her hand. He lashed out when he saw she was injecting something into his IV line.

“What are you doing!?” he shouted at her.

“It’s just a sedative, Adrien,” she answered bluntly. “You need your rest.”

“I don’t want a sedative!” Adrien growled. Within moments, his body felt lighter, like he was starting to float. Adrien glared at the IV in his arm, overcome with the desire to rip it out. As his eyelids grew heavy, he watched his father escort Tom and Sabine out of the room.

Soon, Adrien was back asleep.

__

Adrien cracked the corner of his eye open and looked to his father’s chair. Unlike the previous times he had awoken, it was empty. Adrien opened his eyes the rest of the way and looked around the dark, empty room. Finally, a bit of privacy.

“Plagg?” he called out. It was a long shot, but he hoped his Kwami might be lurking in the shadows with his ring. But sadly, there was nothing but silence. Well, not actual silence. There were all sorts of noises in the hospital, noises Adrien could only hear with one side of his head.

Adrien took a deep breath and touched the bandage over his hurt ear. Would he be less effective as Chat Noir if he couldn’t hear in stereo? Maybe while transformed his hearing would be fully restored. It enhanced all his other abilities, so why not? He wished Plagg were around to ask.

He hated this… this feeling of helplessness. Adrien needed to do something!

Adrien looked over to the bathroom door. There should be a mirror in there, right? He needed to see how severe his wounds were. After he healed, Wayzz would return his Miraculous, and he could contact Marinette. Then, they could devise a strategy to bring down Hawkmoth. It was time they took the fight to him.

Adrien looked down and inspected his body. He still had his IV and a cuff thing on his finger but was otherwise unattached to anything. The IV bag hung from a pole with its own set of wheels, and the cuff seemed easy to remove. He should be able to get out of bed without too much trouble.

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Adrien pushed himself up into a seated position. Instantly, the room started spinning around him, and Adrien found himself taking deep breaths to counteract the nausea. Once the worst of it had passed, Adrien placed his bare feet on the cold floor and rose to a stand. 

The whole world tilted sharply, and Adrien felt himself landing hard on the floor. White-hot pain shot through his abdomen, leaving Adrien gasping for air. After a minute, the worst of the pain passed, and Adrien could breathe normally again.

 _What the hell?_ Adrien thought. Perhaps he had tried to stand up too fast?

Taking deep, deliberate breaths, Adrien attempted to stand again, only to find the floor sliding out from under him. He landed hard on his shoulder.

 _No, No, No, No!_ Adrien could feel himself start to panic. The bathroom was only a few meters away, but it might as well have been a million. Adrien couldn’t seem to stand. And if he couldn’t stand, he couldn’t fight! And if he couldn’t fight, how could they defeat Hawkmoth so Marinette could come home?!?

Adrien bit his lip and tried to get up again, only to crash into the floor. Curling himself into a ball, Adrien cried angry, frustrated tears. What had the Kwamis done?! Did they damage his brain? Adrien punched at the floor and angrily kicked at the IV pole. Instantly, the metal rail came tumbling down, making a loud crashing noise.

Within moments, his father was at his side, lifting him by his shoulders.

“Adrien, are you alright?”

“I can’t walk, father,” Adrien sobbed. “Why can’t I walk?”

“The explosion damaged your inner ear,” Gabriel explained. “We didn’t want to upset you, but balance is often affected in these sorts of injuries.”

Adrien struggled to understand the words his father said. “My balance? I’m not going to be able to stand or walk?”

“Give it time, my son. You are still healing. There are therapies we can try. It is possible to regain some balance.”

“So, I will get better?” 

Adrien could tell his father was struggling to speak. “I don’t know,” he finally whispered. “With this type of injury, you might likely need a cane to walk, but we _will_ get through this.”

“A cane? But I can’t… I can’t…” Adrien stammered. Suddenly, he felt his father's arms wrap around him and pull him close. Adrien squeezed back with all his strength. He soon noticed that Gabriel was sitting beside him on the hospital floor. _Huh?_ Adrien couldn’t remember the last time his father got down on the ground.

“You’re alive; that’s the important thing,” Gabriel told him softly, kissing his hair. “But don’t worry, even if you need a cane, us Agreste men will bring walking sticks back into fashion.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (There's a happy ending to this, I promise)
> 
> Next Time: Nino and Alya visit, Adrien learns Marinette loved him more than a friend. Marinette’s new life.
> 
> Fun Medical Fact: Perilymph fistula is a leakage of inner ear fluid into the middle ear. It can occur after a head injury, drastic changes in atmospheric pressure (such as when scuba diving), physical exertion, ear surgery, or chronic ear infections. Its most notable symptom, besides dizziness and nausea, is unsteadiness when walking or standing that increases with activity and decreases with rest.
> 
> Extra special thank you to my beta this chapter. [Khanofallorcs. ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khanofallorcs)


	7. Visitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya and Nino visit Adrien at the hospital, Marinette’s life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously, Marinette took a bullet meant for Adrien and died in his arms. The kwamis intervened and saved Marinette’s life, then gave Adrien a head injury to explain his disappearance. The injury left him deaf in one ear and unable to balance on his own.

The next few days were endlessly frustrating for Adrien. The dizzy spells came whenever he tried to stand, and no amount of concentration could stop them. Adrien had never felt so helpless in his life. And right when Marinette needed him the most!

His injury wasn’t the only frustration. Adrien missed Plagg. Their parting was so abrupt; Adrien didn’t have time to prepare for it. He wished his Kwami would visit, even if it was just for a minute. Adrien needed Plagg to answer his questions about being Chat Noir. The suit would make up for any balance issues, right? The Kwamis wouldn’t have injured him so severely he couldn’t fight anymore, right? Not when the stakes were so high. As hard as it seemed, Adrien knew he needed to trust the Kwamis.

Even with Plagg gone, Adrien didn’t have the chance to be lonely. His father was constantly by his side. When Gabriel needed to leave, a rotating staff of smiling nurses kept him company. As much as Adrien was thankful for their efforts, he worried that they might be keeping Plagg away.

Thankfully, as time went on, the headaches were less intense. But Adrien still needed help getting in and out of bed. And if he wanted to walk anywhere, someone would have to walk with him. It was just so stupid; his legs were fine! The second day after he woke up, his nurse brought him a walker to use. As much as Adrien hated the look of the thing, at least it allowed him to get to the bathroom independently. But only if he moved slowly.

Adrien knew he needed to keep up his strength, so he spent his waking hours pushing his walker up and down the hospital hallway. He could tell he was a favorite among the nurses. Whenever his father was away, they always seemed eager to walk with him. 

Six days after he had arrived at the hospital, Adrien was finally allowed to have friends visit. Wasting no time, he invited Nino right away. Adrien desperately wanted to wash his greasy hair before his friend came, but the doctor wanted him to wait until his stitches were removed. Still, Adrien felt the need to shave for the occasion.

Even if he couldn’t wash his hair, he looked more like himself freshly shaved. Adrien stared into the small bathroom mirror, trying to psych himself up for the visit. He was excited to see Nino, but he also knew he would have to lie again. And this time, it would be to his friends that had actually been there that day.

When he exited the bathroom, Nino and Alya were already waiting in his room. Adrien couldn’t help smiling at the sight of his friends. With slow, steady steps, he shifted his walker toward the center of the room. A moment later, Nino was at his side, pulling him into a hug.

“Good to see you, man,” Nino squeezed tightly. 

“It’s good to be seen,” Adrien patted his friend’s back then looked over Alya. She waved politely and leaned against the wall.

“Dude, a walker?” Nino asked as he pulled away.

“Sucks, I know,” Adrien moved to sit down on the bed. “I start PT soon. Then, maybe I can switch it up to a cane.”

“Is your ear not any better?”

“Well, I still can’t hear at all with my right ear. The doctor doesn’t think that is likely to change. But at least the vertigo is better, as long as I don’t move too fast.” Adrien noticed looks of pity in both his friends' eyes. He fidgeted nervously; he didn’t want them to feel bad. “But hey, at least I’m here.”

“Yeah,” Nino nodded.

Several moments of awkward silence passed. It bothered Adrien; conversations used to flow so easily with these two. And Alya had yet to say anything. Adrien nervously scratched the back of his neck, racking his brain for something to say.

“So, um… I haven’t been able to reach the Ladyblog. Are you having hosting issues?”

Nino winced at the question. “Alya took it offline.”

“What?!” Adrien turned to Alya. She scowled back with her arms crossed across her chest. “But why?”

“Ladybug was at the festival that day! People saw her. She could have stopped it.”

Nino groaned. “Don’t bother Adrien with this.”

“No, Alya, don’t blame Ladybug,” Adrien pleaded.

“My best friend is dead,” Ayla stated coldly. “No one gets to tell me how to feel.”

Adrien gulped; it had never occurred to him that people might blame Ladybug. After the damage that happened while they were in New York, Paris easily forgave their favorite heroine. After all, Ladybug and Chat Noir were stopping World War Three. But this time? Adrien’s shoulders slumped. What excuse could they possibly offer?

“Um… Have you seen Marinette’s parents?” Adrien asked softly, trying to change the subject. He hadn’t seen them since he awoke in the hospital. Gabriel had dodged the question whenever Adrien asked.

“When this all happened, we all looked for you and Marinette together,” Nino spoke softly. “But we haven’t seen them since you were found. Rose and I are trying to put a schedule for, um… all of Marinette’s friends to visit and spend time with them. It’s gotta be super hard, you know, losing your only child, especially like this.”

Adrien looked down at his hands, not sure of what to say.

“So, like, Kim and Max are going over to play video games. Myléne and Ivan are going to take baking lessons. Rose and Juleka are going to help make scrapbooks.”

“Are you two planning to visit?”

“In time,” Nino shrugged. “I don’t think Alya is quite ready yet.”

“Oh,” Adrien responded, looking over to Alya. 

“We’ll see them at the funeral, I guess,” Nino added.

Adrien took a deep breath; of course, there would be a funeral. His father hadn’t mentioned it, but that didn’t surprise Adrien. His father was trying to shield him from anything that he might find upsetting.

“When is it?” Adrien asked.

Nino and Alya exchange glances. “Whenever you get out, dude. It didn’t feel right having it without you.”

Adrien played with the hem of his bathrobe. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Alya kick at the floor with her toe. Poor girl, she probably didn’t want to be here. Why would she want to be around the boy Marinette died protecting? Adrien slumped in his bed. It was obvious she was hurting. He wished he could say something to make her feel better.

“I…um, I did what you said, Alya,” Adrien looked over to his friend. “At the festival, I told Marinette I loved her.”

He noticed Alya’s lip quiver.

“She… she smiled.”

“Marinette was an idiot!” Alya exploded. “And you!” she marched forward and pointed at his chest. “How dare you be kind to her when you weren’t interested! Couldn’t you have just rejected her properly? And had your happily ever after with Kagami! Let her cry in the arms of Luka.”

Adrien’s jaw dropped; he could only stare back dumbly.

Alya’s eyes narrowed. “If she hadn’t been in love with you, she would still be here,” she spat.

_In love? Huh? What?!_

“No, Alya, you’re wrong,” Nino softly touched her arm. “Marinette always put herself before others. If that gun were aimed at you or me, she would have done the same thing.”

“I know!” she shouted back. “But please, let me be mad!”

“You can’t be mad at the whole world!”

“Yes, I can!”

“She… she was in love with me?” Adrien softly repeated, his mind not quite grasping the worlds coming out of his mouth.

“Yeah, dude,” Nino sadly chucked. “Hardcore.”

Adrien felt his face flush as his heart started to race. “Marinette was... _in_ love with me.”

“She died in your arms,” Alya threw her hands up. “How is this news to you? Why else would I ask you to say that you loved her!”

“I thought… It was just to get her to hold on,” Adrien stammered. “As… as her friend.”

“You gotta be shitting me! No one is that dense!”

“Alya, back off,” Nino warned.

Adrien felt a giggle start to rise in his chest. Immediately, he clamped both hands over his mouth. _Marinette is in love with me?! For real? My Lady loves me back?!_ His whole body started to tingle with elation; happy tears began forming in his eyes. Reaching behind him, Adrien grabbed a pillow and buried his face in it. He couldn’t let his friends see his smile, not now. But he also couldn’t hide the giddy chuckles escaping his body. Peeking over the top of his pillow, Adrien saw Alya staring back at him.

“No, no, no,” Alya squinted at him. “Don’t you dare, Agreste. Don’t you dare fall in love with her now.”

Adrien’s heart was beating wildly as he turned toward the window. He had to calm down; his reaction would make absolutely no sense to his grieving friends. _C’mon, man! Deep breaths. Inhale, exhale, Inhale._ He was so focused on his breathing that he barely heard Nino start to speak again.

“So, um.. before the funeral, we are trying to arrange an informal gathering of friends. Do you think your dad would let you come?

“I think so,” Adrien responded absently, his mind still racing with thoughts of Marinette. “He’s been different. I think I have seen more of him the past few days than I have the past three years.”

“I’m glad Marinette’s death has been a bonding experience for you two,” Alya muttered under her breath.

Adrien paled at the bitterness in her voice.

“Alya!” Nino turned toward her.

“Oh, god. I’m sorry,” Alya covered her mouth with her hands. “I don’t know why I said that. I’ll… um, go wait outside.”

Adrien and Nino watched her leave.

“She... she really hates me,” Adrien stated bluntly, forcing thoughts of Marinette to the back of his mind.

“Yeah,” Nino admitted. “But don’t take it personally. She hates me, too. And Ladybug, and your dad. She hates everyone right now, but mostly…” Nino exhaled, “she hates herself. She’s angry that she was too scared to be with Marinette. You know, at the end.”

Adrien stared down at his hands. But… would Plagg have been able to act if Alya had stayed? He shivered. Alya’s guilt was tormenting her, but her actions might have very well have saved Marinette’s life.

“Then, when you two went missing,” Nino continued. “Alya was frantic. She had turned her back to you because she didn’t want to see Marinette die. But then, you two vanished.”

Nino sat on the end of the bed and closed his eyes.

“The police talked to her over and over again. She had to describe Marinette’s wound and try to estimate how fast she was bleeding. They made her relive it, trying to get any additional details.”

Nino slumped, hanging his head low. “Everyone thought you were dead, too. That there was a second assassin. We spent the whole night looking for you through the wreckage of the Akuma attack. Alya begged Ladybug and Chat Noir for help through the Ladyblog, but they never answered.”

For several minutes, they sat in silence. Adrien’s stomach twisted as guilt gnawed at his insides. His father had never told him what happened that night.

“How are you doing?” Adrien asked softly, looking up at Nino. “You knew Marinette longer than any of us.”

“Honestly? It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” Nino shrugged. “Or maybe my brain just isn’t that smart. But, I hear a song I think she would like, and I pull out my phone, trying to text her. I want to talk to her about Alya, but then… I remember I can’t.”

Nino took off his glasses and wiped his eyes. “I’m just trying to take care of Alya, right now. She’s in so much pain. And the worst part is, she thinks she deserves it. You know, for wanting to go to the festival in the first place.”

Adrien bit his lip. He hated this! Everyone around him was in so much pain, and they didn’t need to be. It was just so unfair!

Time passed in silence as the boys looked out the window. Soon, Alya came back into the room with an apologetic look on her face.

“I’m so sorry, Adrien,” Alya stared at the floor as she spoke. “Please, don’t pay any attention to anything I say right now. I just hate living in this world without her.”

Adrien held out his hand. Hesitantly, Alya walked forward and took it.

“I hate this world,” she whispered. “This is the world without Marinette, and I. don’t. want. to be here.” Alya’s red, wet eyes met his. “I’m just not ready to be here.”

Tears were peaking past Adrien’s eyes as he pulled Alya into a hug. Alya squeezed him back tightly, burning her face into his robe.

“You have to get better, okay?” Alya sniffled. “That’s what she would want more than anything else. And remember her from time to time. I think... I think she would like that. But she wouldn’t want you to be sad.”

Adrien rocked her gently, rubbing her back.

“Plum blossoms were her favorite,” Alya pulled away and wiped her nose with her sleeve. “Maybe every year, when you see the first blossoms of spring, you could remember her.”

“No…” Adrien shook his head. “I’ll remember her every day, Alya. I promise.”

__

Marinette pulled the blanket over her cold nose. Her body was nice and toasty under the blankets, but the unheated apartment always left her face cold. Snuggling into her covers, Marinette opened her eyes and looked around for Tikki. She finally saw her sitting on the window sill next to Plagg.

On any other occasion, Marinette would have found the sight heartwarming. The normally prickly, black kwami was curled up at Tikki’s side, and Tikki was softly stroking his head. But now, it served as a reminder that Chat Noir was still without his Miraculous. Paris was unprotected.

Marinette hated feeling weak, feeling helpless. Tikki assured her that the suit would make up for any weakness in the event of an Akuma attack. But afterward, she would be even more drained than before. So, for now, Marinette needed to recover. And that meant she needed to rest.

Gently, Marinette pushed on her skin where she had been shot, noticing she couldn’t feel the tenderness anymore. It wouldn’t be long until she could patrol again, and Marinette _really_ needed to get out. She was desperate for any sort of distraction that might occupy her thoughts. 

Her eyes drifted down to the small pile of packaged food Plagg and Tikki had procured for her. None of it looked very appetizing. Marinette felt tears start to form in the corner of her eyes. She didn’t want to eat any of that; she wanted her mom’s soup. The one Sabine always made her when she was sick. She would feel better faster if she could have her mom’s soup.

Marinette’s hands flew to cover her face; the sobs were starting again. She couldn’t help it. As much as she tried to push the thoughts of her parents into the back of her mind, they always came rushing back full force. Marinette tried not to imagine what they must be going through, what she was doing to them.

“Oh, Marinette,” she could feel Tikki touch her arm. “It’ll be okay. Shh… don’t upset yourself.”

Curling up into a ball, Marinette buried her face into the blankets. She hated this! All she did was sleep and cry. Marinette needed to develop a strategy, some sort of plan to draw Hawkmoth out of hiding. That was the only way to get back to her parents. But how could she do it without Chat?! Marinette had never felt so helpless in her life.

“You should really try to eat something, Marinette,” Tikki urged as she stroked her hair.

“I want my mom’s soup,” Marinette whimpered. She knew she sounded pathetic, but she didn’t care.

“We could send Plagg to the bakery tonight,” Tikki offered. “He could see if it’s reopened yet. It’s not soup, but maybe he could grab a croissant or two.”

“Can we just send him back to Chat Noir?” Marinette responded dryly.

Tikki sighed sadly. “It’s not time yet.”

“What does that mean?!” Marinette retorted angrily. She sat up and looked over to Plagg in the window. “What are you waiting for?!”

Plagg didn’t say anything; he just turned and looked back at her with misty, heartbroken eyes.

Marinette winced. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

Plagg turned to look out the window again. Marinette slowly rose out of her cocoon of blankets and walked over to the window. She gently patted Plagg on the head before she leaned her arms on the sill.

“Thank you for bringing back the food; I’m sorry if I sounded ungrateful,” Marinette told him softly. “You and Tikki have been doing a wonderful job taking care of me.”

Plagg simply sighed.

“But I’m feeling better now. You can go back to him,” Marinette urged gently. “I know he must miss you so much.”

Plagg didn’t respond for a minute. He just slumped where he sat. “I’ll go check the bakery for croissants,” he replied curtly. Without saying another word, he phased out of the room.

Marinette winced as she leaned her forehead against the window. Tikki flew to her side a moment later.

“He will be okay,” Tikki assured. “Plagg might look like a lost kitten, but he’s tougher than he looks. He just gets grumpy sometimes.”

Marinette stared out of the window. Tiny drops of rain started to run down the glass.

“I hate this, Tikki,” Marinette admitted.

“I know, but this isn’t forever,” Tikki answered as she settled herself on Marinette’s shoulder. “Please don’t give up hope. You’ll be able to go home one day. I know it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: An informal gathering, Luka and Adrien talk, and Ladybug sneaks home.
> 
> Extra special thank you to my beta this chapter. [Khanofallorcs. ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khanofallorcs)


	8. A Gathering of Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug sneaks home. One last party for Marinette. Luka and Adrien talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Marinette took a bullet meant for Adrien and died in his arms. The kwamis intervened and saved Marinette’s life, then gave Adrien a head injury to explain his disappearance. The injury left him deaf in one ear and unable to balance on his own. Since the attack, Marinette has been recovering in a derelict apartment. Adrien’s been recovering in the hospital.

It was after midnight when Ladybug gently landed on her old rooftop balcony. The apartment below had been dark for a while, and it would be several more hours until her parents woke up. As she looked around, Ladybug quickly scanned her old rooftop. She expected it to look different, somehow. But everything was the same; even her plants appeared healthy and watered. As she started to walk over to the skylight hatch, her heart began to beat wildly in her chest. _It will just be a few minutes. You can do it, girl!_ Crouching down, she tried to lift the latch.

But it didn’t budge.

“Hey, Plagg? Can you help?”

Instantly, the tiny black kwami appeared and phased through the glass. After she heard it click, Ladybug slowly pulled it open and gently lowered herself down onto the bed.

Once inside, the smells of her old room overwhelmed her. Even though it was only her room, she could smell her mother’s cooking in the air. Oh! And the bread. Ladybug closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. It would still be hours before her parents opened the bakery, but the smell of yeast and butter always saturated the air. She had always loved that smell. It was the smell of home.

After a few more deep breaths, Ladybug opened her eyes to find Plagg staring at her. _Oh, right! She had a job to do._

“I found them,” Plagg stated. “Exactly where Tikki said they’d be. They’re under the floorboard. Come.”

Careful not to make any noise, Ladybug slowly climbed down the ladder. Her old parquet flooring could squeak loudly when she walked; Ladybug needed to be extra cautious now.

Plagg disappeared into the floor. Then, seconds later, a few of the wood boards popped up. Ladybug pulled them up the rest of the way, revealing her diary and the Miracle Box. 

Without making a noise, Ladybug lifted the items into her arms. She then carefully replaced the floorboards and stood up to leave. Ladybug had every intention of leaving; she really did. But... she couldn’t take her eyes away from her old room, from all the artifacts of her old life.

“We need to leave, now,” Plagg reminded her. “You can’t be seen.”

Ladybug hugged the diary and Miracle Box to her chest. With a wince, she looked up to Plagg. “Can you keep an eye on my parents? Let me know if they start to wake up.”

Plagg crossed his arms. “This isn’t a good idea.”

“I know,” Ladybug looked at him with sad eyes. “Please, Plagg?”

Plagg stared back at her for a moment. Then with a heavy sigh, he disappeared into the floor.

Even in the middle of the night, ambient light shone through the window, allowing Ladybug to look around her old room. Unlike her balcony, she could see many changes here. Someone had emptied her chest and stacked its contents into neat piles with sticky notes on top. It was all the presents she had made for her friends. The sight made Marinette smile; her gifts would be delivered after all. 

Ladybug walked over and sat down at her desk. She gently placed her fingertips on her keyboard, remembering countless hours spent at her computer. Ladybug didn’t dare turn it on, but she still wanted to remember what it felt like to be herself again. Soon, her eyes fell on her sketchbook, then on a picture of her parents.

A familiar lump started forming in her throat. They were so close, sleeping peacefully just meters away. This was just so cruel! Why couldn’t they know she was alive?! They wouldn’t tell anyone, Ladybug was positive. It wasn’t fair that they had to be in so much pain!

Ladybug hid her face in her palms. She couldn’t risk breaking out into sobs. Not now. What if they heard? Dropping her hands, Ladybug stared up at the ceiling and took deep breaths.

_Inhale, exhale, inhale. Calm down, girl._

But… it wasn’t working. Ladybug soon felt hot tears run down her cheeks. Dammit! She wanted her mom! She wanted her dad to lift her off the ground in a crushing hug. She wanted to say she was sorry and that they were the best parents in the world. This wasn’t fair! She never got the chance to say goodbye.

A sudden idea popped into her mind.

She couldn’t say goodbye in person, but maybe she could let them know how much they meant to her. Ladybug closely eyed a folder of miscellaneous papers. Unlike the other areas in her room, it didn’t look like anyone had gone through there yet. Hmm… There should be an anniversary card hidden away.

Ladybug grinned when she found it. It was still months until her parents' anniversary, but a card like this was too good to pass up. When Marinette had seen it, she instantly purchased it and stashed it away. On the cover was a family of smiling cupcakes. It was just so sickeningly sweet; she couldn’t refuse.

Reaching for a pen, Ladybug hurriedly scribbled down a few sentences. Nothing too heavy, but just a gentle reminder that she knew how much they loved her. And that she loved them more than words could ever say. Then, biting her lip, Ladybug signed ‘Marinette’ and quickly hid the card in Rose's gift. Rose would make sure it got back to her parents.

Then, Ladybug quickly grabbed a spare toothbrush, deodorant, and a few pairs of underwear. Surely, no one would notice these missing items, right? Hmmm… maybe she could grab a photo or two as well. She silently climbed up the ladder to the loft bed and looked at the collage on the wall. Hmm… maybe she should grab a few from the back? Carefully, Ladybug unpinned a class photo, then another of her and Alya, and one of Kitty Section.

After she placed the photos into her compact, Ladybug looked up to the skylight. It was time to go; she knew that. But… she couldn’t bring herself to open the hatch. Not just yet. Grabbing her large, oversized kitty pillow, Ladybug laid down on her old mattress. She closed her eyes and squeezed Mister Kitty as hard as she could. Burying her face in his soft body, she inhaled deeply, trying to immerse herself in the smells of her old life.

But... it just wasn’t enough. She wanted to feel his soft fabric, too. The gloves of her suit muted his fuzzy texture. Taking a deep breath, Ladybug set her jaw. Tikki wouldn’t be happy, but it would just for a minute!

“Spots off!”

Pink light engulfed her body as Marinette squeezed Mister Kitty.

“Marinette!” Tikki immediately scolded. “You can’t be here.”

“Just a few minutes, Tikki.” Marinette kept her eyes tightly closed, not wanting to face her Kwami right now. “Plagg is keeping watch.”

“Marinette, you shouldn’t do this to yourself.”

“I just need a few minutes, Tikki,” Marinette whined. “Please?” She heard Tikki sigh, but her little red friend didn’t speak again.

It wasn’t until Plagg warned that Tom and Sabine were stirring that Marinette finally transformed and quickly left.

__

Adrien stood alone in his hospital room, staring out the window. Maybe Ladybug would patrol again? The past few evenings, he had seen her red figure jumping across the rooftops. And Adrien had never seen such a beautiful sight. It was proof that Marinette was alive! It filled him with an indescribable joy to see the love of his life bounding across Paris. If Marinette was fully recovered, they were one step closer to defeating Hawkmoth. One step closer to Marinette being able to come home. Then, she could be with her family and friends again. All the sorrow and heartbreak would end!

Then, maybe… Adrien could feel his face start to heat up. Then, he could tell her that her love wasn’t unrequited. They could be together.

_That is… if she still feels the same._

Leaning against the glass, Adrien closed his eyes and sighed deeply. But would she still feel the same? Could she still love him? Even after everything that had happened? All of Marinette’s friends and family were in such pain right now, and it was all because of him. Adrien frowned, gripping the handle of his walker tightly. Everything was his fault! All because he had to go to the stupid festival!

Guilt still gnawed at him. Other than Alya’s outburst, everyone had been overly kind. Frustratingly understanding. Oh, how Adrien dreamed Tom might punch him in the face with that massive fist of his. Or maybe his father would yell and ground him for life. It would only be a drop in the bucket compared to what Adrien knew he deserved. But at least it would be _something_!

Adrien’s carelessness had ripped his Lady out of her life.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Self-pity wasn’t going to help Marinette. Adrien straightened his posture and smoothed his hair back into place. It was the first day he had styled it; it was the first day he had worn regular clothes, too. In just minutes, Adrien would join a group of friends in the cafeteria. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but everyone wanted to meet up before the funeral. And since Adrien was still days away from being discharged, they had arranged to have it here.

A knock on the door startled Adrien out of his thoughts.

“Come in!” he called out.

The door opened, and his father and Nathalie stepped inside. Adrien smiled at the sight of his father’s assistant. Her visits had been infrequent due to the added responsibility of running his father’s company. It was good to see her again.

“Are you ready to go?” Gabriel asked gently, crossing the room and handing Adrien his cane. After Adrien took it, Gabriel extended his arm. It had taken a few days of practice, but now Adrien could walk with a cane. Well, as long as someone lent him their arm for support. 

Gripping his father’s arm, Adrien slowly made his way down the hospital corridor. Without the walker and hospital gown, he almost felt like himself again. 

As they rode the elevator down, Adrien’s curiosity grew. What did his friends have in store? Both Alya and Nino were very tight-lipped when Adrien asked questions. Still, even with all the secrecy, Adrien was eager to see his friends again.

As Nathalie pushed open the cafeteria doors, Adrien gasped at the sea of faces in front of him.

“Happy Birthday!” everyone shouted.

“And a Merry Christmas!” shouted Ivan in a Santa Claus outfit. 

Adrien stood in stunned silence. His eyes didn’t know where to look first. The entire hospital cafeteria was crammed full of familiar faces. Not only that, but festive ornaments hung everywhere, a curious mix of both Christmas and generic party decorations.

“Adrikins!?” Suddenly, a misty-eyed Chloé ran to him. She briefly glanced down at his cane and frowned. “You look utterly ridiculous with that thing.”

Adrien laughed at his oldest friend’s bluntness. Chloé hesitantly reached her hands out to him. 

“Is it okay… I mean, can I?” her eyes pleaded with his. “I don’t wanna hurt you.”

Adrien let go of this father’s arm and pulled her into a hug. As she buried her face into his shoulder, Chloé gripped him back with a strength Adrien never knew she had. He gently patted her as he squeezed her back.

“Shhh… it’s okay. I’m fine. Really.”

Chloé sniffled into his shirt.

“So… um,” Adrien asked, his eyes scanning the room. “What’s going on?”

“Dude! It’s a birthday party!” Nino announced excitedly, wearing a party hat instead usual cap.

“Uh… whose birthday?” Adrien asked, still unsure about the crazy sights in front of him.

“Yours, mine, everyone’s!” Nino gestured to the room. “Everyone here gets presents.”

“I don’t understand,” Adrien stared around the room in confusion.

“The presents are from Marinette.” Adrien looked over Chloé’s shoulder to see Mylène wearing a Santa Hat. “She had almost a hundred of them prepared and hidden away in her room. Most are for birthdays, but some are for Christmas. We thought Marinette would have liked it if everyone opened them together.”

Chloé finally pulled away from him and wiped her eyes.

“They’re all handmade, so don’t expect too much,” Chloé scoffed, but her tone lacked the usual bite. Adrien suspected she was trying to keep up appearances, regardless of her true feelings.

Soon, Adrien was exchanging hugs and greetings with all his classmates. Man! He had missed them all so much! But it wasn’t only his classmates in attendance; Adrien spotted many of their parents and siblings as well. Even Nadja Chamack and Manon were there.

Adrien’s eyes soon fell to a table stacked high with wrapped presents. Next to that, a banquet table full of cakes and pastries. Tom and Sabine were standing quietly to the side, politely chatting with Marc and Nathaniel.

“Hey, Nino,” Adrien called out, reaching for his friend. “Can you take me over to Marinette’s parents?”

“Take you?” Nino cocked an eyebrow in confusion. His eyes briefly glanced down Adrien’s cane. “Uh, yeah... sure, dude,” Nino replied, awkwardly holding up his arm. Adrien grabbed Nino’s forearm in one hand and his cane in the other and slowly walked across the room over to the buffet table.

Tom and Sabine looked better than the last time Adrien had seen them. They even had small, polite smiles on their faces as they looked at Nathaniel’s sketchbook. But it was still obvious that their grief had taken a toll. Tom looked smaller; he didn’t hold his shoulders as high. And Sabine had new timidness to her posture. Glancing over to the banquet table, Adrien realized that all the treats here tonight were from the bakery. It was strange to think Marinette’s parents were restarting their lives.

“It’s the birthday boy!” Tom announced with a smile when he saw Adrien. “You are in for a real treat tonight.”

“Hello, Mr. Dupain, Mrs. Cheng,” Adrien greeted formally. “I thought it was a birthday party for everyone.”

“Please, just call me Tom,” Adrien noticed Tom’s eyes briefly drop to his cane before looking back up. “Yes, there are presents here for everyone, but my daughter was especially enthusiastic about making them for you. There are dozens.”

Adrien raised his brows. “Dozens?”

“She couldn’t confess her big-time crush, so she channeled her feelings into design,” Nino explained. “And dude, that girl had sooo many feelings.”

Adrien squirmed. Somehow it seemed so wrong to be discussing Marinette’s private thoughts so openly.

“Oh, yes. She did,” Sabine added with a fond smile. “Sometimes, Marinette would be exhausted in the morning because she spent the whole night sewing.”

 _Or, you know, fighting Akumas,_ Adrien mused, silently.

He glanced over to the table full of treats. “All the food here looks amazing. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”

“No trouble at all,” Tom proudly answered. But his face soon fell as he reached out to grab Sabine’s hand. “This is Marinette’s last party. There’s no way we’d let anyone else cater it. Besides, no one knew her favorites better than me.”

Soon, Ivan and Mylène announced it was time for presents. Everyone helped push the chairs and tables into a large circle. Then Ivan started handing out gifts.

One by one, Marinette’s friends took turns opening their gifts. Well, not really turns. Every other present was for Adrien. But once a gift was opened, it was passed around and admired by everyone there. 

As Adrien opened gift after gift, he struggled to keep his emotions in check. Dozens, if not hundreds of hours, went into making these custom, well-thought-out gifts. Every item was a piece of Marinette’s love for her friends. And… her love for _him._ As Adrien ran his finger over the seam of a jacket, he thought his heart might explode with joy. All this time, he had been so loved… and he had never known.

After the gift exchange, Adrien sat beside a pile of Marinette’s original creations. He proudly slipped on a jacket and tried his best to strike a proper model pose. But, with his limited balance, the best he could do was casually leaning against a table. Still, Alya snapped a few photos to share with the school blog.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Rose timidly approach Marinette’s parents. Something about her posture seemed very out-of-character for her. Adrien turned his good ear toward them, hoping to hear their conversation. Rose held out an envelope to Tom and Sabine.

“This was in my custom scrapbook holder,” she said shyly. “But I don’t think it was meant for me.”

Politely, Tom and Sabine took the card. But their expressions soon changed as they read it. Then Sabine quickly turned and buried her face in Tom’s chest. Whatever composure they had summoned for this party had broken instantly. With red eyes, Tom quietly escorted Sabine out of the room.

Adrien watched them leave. For all the smiles and small talk, they were only pretending to be okay. It was strange, really. This entire room was full of grieving people trying to act normal. He shivered, knowing that feeling all too well. It was also like that when Mom left.

“Hey.” A soft voice interrupted Adrien’s thoughts. He looked over to see Luka standing next to him.

“Hey,” Adrien responded back.

“Nino says your ear is all messed up, that you lost your hearing on one side. I’m sorry, man. That’s gotta be rough for any musician.”

“I haven’t tried playing the piano yet,” Adrien shrugged. “But it’s weird not being able to tell where sounds are coming from. I mean, I still can tell a little bit, but it’s harder than before.”

Luke fidgeted slightly; Adrien understood his unease. Other than Chloé, people didn't seem to address Adrien’s injuries. He knew it made people uncomfortable to acknowledge he was damaged. But somehow, it just seemed weirder to avoid talking about it. 

“I want to say thank you,” Luka lowered his voice. “For what you did for Marinette.”

Adrien paled. Did he somehow know she was alive? Luka was incredibly intuitive. Did he know Adrien had saved her? Oh, no! Did he know she was Ladybug? Adrien quickly looked around to make sure no one was listening to their conversion.

“Wha… what do you mean?” Adrien could feel himself start to sweat.

“You comforted her... and tried to save her.” Luka glanced down to Adrien’s cane. “You almost died trying.”

“Oh, yeah…” Relief washed over Adrien. Marinette’s secret was still safe. “I’m sure you would have done the same.”

“Yes,” Luka answered immediately. “I would have.”

Adrien bit his lip, suddenly at a loss of what to say. He knew Luka cared for Marinette. Hell, he even thought they were dating. Maybe they would have had a chance if Adrien hadn’t been there. If he and Marinette had never met.

“I always thought you were the boy Marinette liked,” Adrien shyly admitted. “That’s why… that’s why I never thought it could be me.”

“I loved her,” Luka stated softly.

Adrien gulped, feeling a sharp ping of jealousy. Then, he immediately felt ashamed. Luka had seen Marinette. Truly seen her and had loved her. Luka had loved his Lady without her mask. Without knowing how incredible she could truly be.

“Did she know?” Adrien asked after a moment.

Luka nodded. “I think so.”

Several seconds of heavy silence passed.

“Thank you for caring for her,” Adrien finally whispered. “I’m glad she knew she was loved.”

“I thought she would have been good for you, you know. She had so much love to give,” Luka gently rested his hand on Adrien’s shoulder. “You needed that.”

Adrien’s guilt was overwhelming; he could no longer meet Luka’s eyes. All he could do was stare down at the floor. Had the situation been reversed, he doubted he could be so selfless.

“I’m sorry,” Adrien continued staring at his feet. “I wish… I mean, if I had…” Damn! His throat was tightening up; it was becoming hard to speak. “There’s… just so many things I didn’t know.”

Adrien forced himself to look into Luka’s eyes. There was no anger or resentment there, only concern for his friend.

“I want you to know,” Adrien tried to swallow the tightness in his throat. “I never would have let her take the hit for me.”

Luka nodded thoughtfully. “I know.”

Adrien studied the boy next to him. He always found Luka hard to read. His calm, easy-going nature always made him appear composed. Still, Marinette’s death must have been devastating for him. 

“So,... um, how are you holding up?” Adrien asked.

“Not great,” Luka paused for a moment. “But I have my music to help me. To give me purpose. Marinette’s melody ended too soon, but that doesn’t make it any less beautiful. I need to write it down, to capture its radiance before it vanishes from my memory.”

Luka closed his eyes as his fingers plucked imaginary guitar strings.

“Even though she is no longer with us, I want people to be able to hear Marinette’s song. And know her, the way I did, even if it's only through music.”

Adrien smiled as he remembered the piano piece he composed for Ladybug. Did Marinette know she inspired such music? “You’re writing a song for her?”

Luka nodded. “I plan to play it at the funeral to honor her.”

“I’m sure it will be beautiful,” Adrien told him. “And a wonderful way to remember Marinette.”

Luka smiled sadly. For a few moments, neither of them spoke. 

“For the longest time,” Adrien began sadly. “I was worried she didn’t like me. She was always so… weird around me.”

Luka chuckled. “Yeah. She’d turn into a totally different person when you entered the room.”

“That must have been hard to see.”

“Well, that was all part of what made her Marinette.” Luka offered Adrien his arm. “I shouldn’t take too much of your time. I know other people want to visit with you too. Where shall we go next?”

Adrien took Luka’s arm and gripped his cane. “Can we go to the dessert table again? I want a few more macarons before they're all gone.”

“Have you tried the passionfruit ones?”

“Nope! Not yet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: Kagami returns, Adrien’s Eulogy.  
> Coming up. Ladybug visits Adrien. Chat Noir comes back.
> 
> Extra special thank you to my beta this chapter. [Khanofallorcs. ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khanofallorcs)

**Author's Note:**

> Want to join an [Miraculous Fanworks Discord?](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks) and talk Miraculous Ladybug, make friends, get help on your fanfictions and fanarts?


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